Brothers who pushed elderly women to the ground before snatching their handbags and stealing their cars in Brent, jailed

Two brothers found guilty of a string of vicious robberies targeting elderly women in Brent were jailed at Harrow Crown Court on Tuesday (May 15).

Shaun Moorhouse, 32, of no fixed abode and William Moorhouse, 30, of no fixed abode, were jailed for more than 14 years following a rampant eight-day crime spree.

A 74-year-old woman was targeted by the pair on January 19 in Barnhill Road, Wembley when they stole her car. They fought with her, knocking her to the floor, before driving off in her vehicle.

The brothers carried out a series of thefts mainly targeting women aged between 65 and 88-years-old between January 19 to January 26.

According to Metropolitan Police, a number of victims were pushed to the floor and dragged along the street, whilst holding on to their handbags, which were being grabbed.

The pair used vehicles they had stolen to pull up alongside victims and either rob or steal their handbags. During the eight-day crime spree they stole a silver Vauxhall Astra, a black Audi A3 and a grey Volkswagen Golf.

On January 23 at around 9am, a black Audi was stolen from Manor Drive in Wembley. At around 9.15am the pair crashed the car at low speed into a victim's vehicle in Waitrose car park in Brent Cross, before stealing the victim’s handbag from within her car. At 9.17am the brothers went on to steal a handbag from a woman walking along Mead Place in Brent.

At around 9.20am the men abandoned the stolen vehicle before attempting to steal another vehicle from a 71-year-old female victim in a Tesco car park on Tilling Road. A passer-by intervened and took the keys back from the men, preventing them from stealing the car.

Police launched an investigation into the thefts on January 28 following a burglary of a 77-year-old man’s address in Balmoral Road.

William Moorhouse was arrested at the scene and Shaun Moorhouse was arrested the following day during a routine police patrol in Oldfield Road, Brent.

On March 22, both men jointly entered guilty pleas to conspiracy counts concerning 15 offences listed against them at Harrow Crown Court. William also pleaded guilty to two burglary offences.

On Tuesday (May 15) Shaun Moorhouse, was sentenced to six years imprisonment for conspiracy to commit theft and conspiracy to commit robbery.

And William Moorhouse was sentenced to eight years and seven months imprisonment for conspiracy to commit theft, conspiracy to commit robbery and two burglaries committed on January 8 in Westview Close in Brent and on January 28 in Balmoral Road, Brent.